In the next week or two I'll try to do a new version of this tutorial for Peppermint 6 .. but for those who want to install Peppermint 6 now, the only thing I can spot in this tutorial that you absolutely should NOT do is...

DO NOT attempt to install TLP in Peppermint 6 .. it is no longer necessary and will create dependency problems.(in short, do NOT do stage 10 in Peppermint 6)

[END EDIT}

In this tutorial we will wipe the default OS (Linpus Lite) from the internal 8GB SSD (or hard drive in the case of the AOA150) and install PeppermintOS (Five) Linux is its place.

Why would you want to do this .. Well Linpus Lite, though small and fast is based on Fedora core 8 which is a very old Linux distribution that has been out of active development for quite some time .. so Linpus Lite doesn't receive any updates, and it is nearly impossible to get any new software to install without jumping through hoops, if at all.

PeppermintOS (Five) on the other hand is based on the MUCH more recent Ubuntu 14.04 (Long Term Support release), but uses the LXDE desktop (with the Xfce4 window manager/compositor) which is more like a "normal" desktop environment, and is also small and fast .. it also has the added benefit of having access to the Ubuntu software repositories, so it is VERY easy to install the latest software.

If you want a quick look at what the PeppermintOS Five desktop will look like by default, see here:http://peppermintos.com/screenshots/(obviously the appearance, wallpaper, themes, icons, etc. can easily be changed, and/or you can add dock bars such as docky/cairo-dock/etc. if you wish)Or for a more in depth look at what PeppermintOS is all about, why not take a look through all the PeppermintOS user guide sections, here:http://peppermintos.com/guide/

As you can see it has a single panel at the bottom, an application menu, a system tray, and a workspace that you can put application icons (shortcuts), files, or directories on .. in fact (good or bad) it's very similar to the Windows layout.

I'm going to set out this tutorial in stages .. the first stage will tell you how to download the PeppermintOS Five ISO image, and how to use a Windows PC to write it to a 1GB or larger USB Stick.

The following stages will deal with installation, then some post-installation tasks to get Peppermint "just right".

These instructions may *look* complex at first glance, but take it from me it is easier than it looks

OK, Stage 1 ..

Downloading the PeppermintOS (Five) ISO image (to a Windows PC) and writing it to the USB stick

The following instructions are for creating a PeppermintOS Five LiveUSB stick using a Windows PC .. if you need instructions for creating a LiveUSB on an Ubuntu based Linux distro including an earlier version of Peppermint, see the instructions at the end of this posting.

Step 1 .. In the drop down list, select PeppermintOSStep 2 .. point it at the ISO image you downloadedStep 3 .. Choose your (already plugged in >= 1GB) USB stick .. probably best to let it format it too, so backup its contents first.Step 4 .. (if available) Set the slider to the largest persistence file it will allow you.. so you can save changes. (if you want to test drive it first)

Heres a pic of the Universal USB Installer interface

Click Create .. and wait till it's done .. it will take a while, and *may* appear to have stopped .. but just wait till it says it's "Done" .. as in the following pic

Pic of Universal USB Installer .. Installing to USB Stick

Once the LiveUSB has been created, click Close, plug it into your AA1, then turn ON your AA1 .. as soon as you see the first screen (Acer Empowering People), hit the F12 key to access the boot device selection screen .. and select the USB HDD as the drive to boot from and hit Enter to boot.

When asked, select "Try Peppermint" not "Install Peppermint"

Be aware .. running from a USB stick will be quite a bit slower that running it from the internal SSD after installation, so don't draw any conclusions about speed at this point

I *can* tell you that once installed, it takes slightly longer to boot than Linpus Lite .. but once booted it loads/runs applications just as quickly .. and has access to all the latest software.

Once you've got to a working desktop, you can either test drive Peppermint from the USB stick .. or you can just click the "Install Peppermint" icon that will be on the desktop .. but we'll get to that in a bit

For users creating the LiveUSB stick in another version of Peppermint (or other Ubuntu based distro) -

First you'll need too install usb-creator-gtk, so open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run:

I've found it's usually best to let it format the USB stick first, so in the bottom pane select your USB stick, and hit the "Erase Disk" button, and enter your password if prompted.

Once the format is done, in the top pane, select the ISO image you want to create the LiveUSB stick from (if it's not already there, browse to it by clicking the "Other" button)

If you want the LiveUSB to be persistent (ie. able to save changes), make sure "Store in reserved extra space" is selected, and use the slider to adjust the size of the persistence file (the amount of room set aside for saving changes).

Click the "Make Startup Disk" button.

You'll be prompted for your password a couple of times before it tells you the LiveUSB has been created and is ready for use.

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« Last Edit: June 01, 2015, 09:27:06 pm by PCNetSpec »

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Using the LiveUSB you just created to install PeppermintOS (Five) to the internal SSD (or HDD)

This part is very easy .. Plug the LiveUSB into your AA1, then turn ON your AA1 .. as soon as you see the first screen (Acer Empowering People), hit the F12 key to access the boot device selection screen .. and select the USB stick as the drive to boot from and hit Enter to boot.

When asked, select "Try Peppermint" not "Install Peppermint"

When you get to the desktop .. Click the Install Peppermint icon on the desktop, and follow the onscreen prompts to install Peppermint

If you have your netbook connected to your router by an ethernet cable (or have enabled wireless from the Live desktop), when asked by the installer, put ticks in the boxes to

Install extra softwareandInstall updates during installation

Otherwise leave them unticked.

If at any stage during the install process you're asked if you want to use LVM, or encryption, say NO

When you get to the Allocate drive space part of the installer, allow it to replace Fedora release8 (werewolf) and use the whole drive.

When you get to the part where it ask you for a username and password etc .. here's a few hints -

You will be asked for things like -

Name:Computername:Username:Password:Re-Enter Password:

The Computername field will probably be autofilled for you after you've entered your name .. but you can change it.

When the installation has finished and you have rebooted to the internal SSD (or HDD) ..

Whilst on the desktop ..

Click the NetworkManager icon (it looks like little steps, or two unplugged cables in the system tray, by the clock) on the bottom panel .. you should be presented with a list of available wireless networks.

Click YOUR network, and you will be given a message about "System Policy preventing changes" asking for your password .. this dialog box expects your PEPPERMINT password (NOT your wireless key), so enter it and hit "Authenticate"

you should NOW be prompted for the WEP or WPA(2) key.

Enter your wireless network key, and click Connect.

That's it.. you're connected

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OK, we're going to install the extra software in 2 stages .. the first stage to install most of the software .. but we'll leave out ubuntu-restricted-extras and lubuntu-restricted-extras because those packages also install the ttf-mscorefonts-installer which always causes problems with it's license acceptance window.(you WILL want these package, because they installs support for mp3, flash etc. but we'll install them later in the tutorial)

at some point the terminal will turn blue telling you you need to accept a license, with <ok> at the bottom .. hit the Tab key so the <ok> is highlighted red .. hit the Enter key .. the next screen will have <yes> <no>, again hit the Tab key so/until <yes> is highlighted red .. and hit the Enter key.

It will now install.

Once ttf-mscorefonts-installer has finished installing .. still in the terminal run:

WARNING .. there is a known security vulnerability in Java 6 and 7 that can allow someone that exploits it to break out of the java sandbox .. this vulnerability will not be fixed until Feb 2013 at the earliest (if at all), so if you don't need Java don't install it .. if you do, disable the icedtea plugin in your web browser and only ever enable it for websites that require java.

the temperature will be returned in this format -60000 = 60C55000 = 55C46000 = 46Cetc.

If you have to apply this fix .. It would be a good idea to keep an eye on the temperature for a short while, just to check the fan does come on when the temperature reaches 60C .. be aware, running the command to check the temperature takes a single reading, so you will have to run it again to get another reading.

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« Last Edit: August 01, 2014, 10:39:37 am by PCNetSpec »

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Stage 10 (optional) ..(if you're installing Peppermint 6, DO NOT follow this stage .. DO NOT install TLP .. it is not necessary and will cause you problems)

Extending battery life by installing the TLP power management application

This is an optional install, but I recommend it for the Acer Aspire One, as when you switch from mains power to battery power, TLP will switch your CPU into power saving mode unless the CPU is under load, which will make your battery last longer.